1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to dome-like roof structures that can be assembled and dismantled easily while providing a stable dome when erected. More particularly, it pertains to structures which can provide inexpensive cover for such applications as swimming pools, both above and in the ground, greenhouses, garages, patios, sheds, tents and the like; said cover being easily removable when the need to do so arises.
2. The Prior Art
While it is desirable to provide an inexpensive lightweight cover for enclosing such things as swimming pools, greenhouses, garages, patios, sheds, tents and the like, the prior art has dwelt upon structures that in particular provide a structure to cover outdoor swimming pools.
With reference to pools, covers are desirable in the winter months to avoid cracking of pool walls and to keep the pools free of leaves, trash and other undesirable debris.
Conventional pool covers consist of heavy tarpaulins or heavy gauge plastic sheeting stretched taut over the surface of the pool and anchored to the coping by means of eyehooks or other devises.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,412 issued to H. B. Crook, Oct. 20, 1970, discloses a pool cover which includes a center support member which consists of short lengths of pipe coupled by means of four-way fittings. Side supports are bowed or arched lengths of flexible pipe jointed to the center support by ways of the four-way fittings. The ends of the side support members are attached to the pool coping by means of a three-fingered anchoring devise having an upturned center finger inserted in the end of the respective side support pipes and having two downturned finger portions to engage a coping or the edge of the pool. The flexible cover is drawn taut over the frame and retained in place by weights or sandbags.
Although this patent is an improvement over a flat tarpaulin, it still does not readily adapt to above-ground pools and does not provide for forming an enclosure where no coping exists, such as in the case of a garage, shed, greenhouse, patio or the like. Further, this patent does not disclose an above-ground enclosure which encloses a usable space when erected, such as a garage, shed or greenhouse.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,643, issued to Sandford et al, issued Dec. 24, 1974, discloses a swimming pool cover having a skeleton frame with a longitudinal ridge pole and downwardly curving rafters anchored to pins along the sides of the pool; however, this structure would have limited success in application to above-ground pools and would hardly serve usefully for a garage, shed or patio cover.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,427, issued to Burkholz et al, issued Aug. 15, 1972, pertans to removable domes for outdoor swimming pools to protect swimmers from the weather. The structure consists of a lightweight metal pipe frame structure extending upwardly from the top rail of the swimming pool to a central connecting member or spider. A flexible sheet is placed over the framework and the sheet is such that it forms a dome over the pool. The framework is supported by brackets mounted about the top rail of the pool. The brackets are screwed fixedly to the rail and the fabric is held down by a gromment-s-hook combination. The s-hook engage the grommets on the fabric on either side at a bracket and the s-hooks are connected with a resilient strap which is slipped under a hook also mounted on the side of the pool.
With such a structure, application to other than an above-ground pool would require serious modification. Also, the structure is not designed to accommodate other than circular or regular polygonal structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,766,573, also issued to Burkholz et al, expands their prior disclosure to enclose regular oval structures, having regular polygonal ends, where a ridge pole or longitudinal rafter must be used.
This structure also would require serious modification to be used in other than above-ground swimming pool applications. Also the structure is limited to regular oval shapes.
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide easily erected and dismantled domed roof structures which can provide protection for above and in-ground swimming pools as well as provide easily erectable enclosures for a variety of uses such as garages, greenhouses, patios, sheds, tents and the like.